Signal-lantern



(No Model.)

A. H. PHILLIPPI.

SIGNAL LANTERN.

No. 310,464. PatentedJan; 6, 1.885.

OOOOOOOOO WITNESSES:

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lhvrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE,

ABRAHAM H. PHILLIPPI, OF READING, ASSIGNOR OF TVO-THIRDS TO DANIEL P. DIETERIOH AND RICHARD M. POPHAM, BOTH OF PHILA- DELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIGNAL-LANTERN.

IBPIZOIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,464, dated January 6, 1885.

Application filed May 21, 18S4.

I0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM H. PHILLIPPI, a citizen of the United States, residingin the city of Reading, county of Berks,State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Signal-Lanterns, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which Figurel is acentral vertical section of a lantern embodying my invention. Fig. 2is a side view of the lower part of the lantern, a portion of the base being broken away.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

My invention relates to that class of signallanterns in which a colored-glass'cylinder may be raised around or depressed below thelight; and the invention consists in providing the supports of such cylinder with a handle located at the side of the lantern, where it is most conveniently accessible, and avoids the operation of the cylinder from beneath the lan tern, a spring depending from said handle, and a base with a ledge to sustain the finger when the cylinder is-raised.

It also consists of spring fingers provided with shoulders for removably supporting the cylinder.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a lantern, and B the base; 0, the globe, and D the lamp thereof. Loosely encircling the body of the lamp is aring or annulus, E, from which depend arms 1?, preferably of wire, the same passing freely through the plate D, which supports the lamp, and are connected at the bottom by a bar, G, forming, together, a rising and falling frame which supports a coloredglass cylinder, H, the latter resting on the annulus E, and made of such height that when it is lowered it clears the flame of the lamp and an ordinary white light is shown, and when said cylinder is raised it surrounds-the flame and is illuminated thereby, so that a colored light is displayed, this feature,however,broadly considered, not being new.

Rising from the bar G and connected therewith or made continuous thereof, as shown in (No model.)

the drawings, is a handle, J, which passes freely through an opening, a, in one side of the plate D, and is presented at the side of the lamp, and consequently of the lantern. A plate or flat spring, K, depends from the top of the handle J, and a. ledge, L, is formed on theupper part of the base B, adjacent to the open ing in the plate D, through which the handle J and connected spring K are passed for supporting the handle when raised. It will be seen that when a colored light is required, the handle J is lifted and the annulus E follows the motion thereof, and thus the cylinder H is raised, surrounding the flame of the lamp. As soon as the spring K clears the opening in the plate D its lower end is free to expand,which it does over the ledge L, and then rests thereon, so that the cylinder is firmly supported. (See Fig. l.)

In order to lower the cylinder, the springK is pushed in until it registers with the opening in the plate D, whereby it loses its support, and thus the cylinder, its support, and the handle, with its spring, drop, the cylinder thus uncovering the name, as seen in Fig. 2.

It will be noticed that the handle is located at the side of the lantern, so that the cylinder may be operated in a most convenient manner, avoiding the application of the hand beneath the lantern, the handle being also exposed at the side of the lantern or located on the exterior thereof, so that it may always be seen whether the lantern is being carried or resting on the ground, thus avoiding loss of time in operating the colored cylinder.

In lieu of glass for the cylinder H, I may use mica or other transparent substance and color the same in any desirable manner, and it is evident that it may be of any color.

In order to hold the cylinder on the annulus E, I employ spring-fingers M, which press inwardly and rise from and are secured to the annulus, the upper ends of the fingers having shoulders M, which embrace the top edge of the cylinder, thus pressing the cylinder firmly downward on the annulus, and also sustaining it laterally, so that vertical and lateral displacement of the same is prevented, the cylinder, however, being readily removable by forcing out the fingers, so that their shoulders clear the top edge of the cylinder.

I am aware thatit is not newto provide signal-lanterns with handles at the side thereof for raising and lowering colored-glass cylinders thereof, and ith springs for holding said cylinders in raised position. In one case the spring acts by friction on an inner partof the base of the lamp and has an uncertain holding power, especially when the lamp is swung or waved. In another case the spring moves inwardly in order to hold the cylinder elevated, and requires a handle attached to the same to draw it out, two handles thus being employed. In my case, when the cylinder is raised the spring K is thrust at its lower end directly against a ledge on the base of the lair tern, so that a firm support for the cylinder is provided. Furtl'lermore, the spring is exposed and presents a face against which the fingers of the hand may be pressed in order to move the bottom of said spring inwardly from the inner end of the ledge, so that the cylinder may drop, the spring still providing 31Ofi6 friction against the wall of the opening, in which it moves in its descent, to prevent abrupt dropping of said cylinder.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a signal-lantern, a colored cylinder, a rising.and falling support for the same, and a handle connected with said support at the side of the lantern, in combination with a spring depending from and connected with said handle, and a ledge on the base of the lantern, against which the bottom of said spring is thrust when the cylinder is raised, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a signal-lantern, a colored cylinder and a support for the same, in combination with inwardly-pressing spring-fingers formed with shoulders which engage with the top of said cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

. A. II. PHILLIPPI.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN A. 'Wrnnnnsnnm, JNo. K. PLIT'I. 

